


Sticks and Stones

by I_Am_A_Potato



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-21
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-01-03 00:24:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21170360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_Am_A_Potato/pseuds/I_Am_A_Potato
Summary: (Rated mature for mature stuff later on)(Also, I'm bad with summaries)(Also, Gaster isn't gone)Sticks and stones may break your bones, but... bones are meant to heal. They heal and fix themselves, not wanting to be broken for long. They want to be together. They want to fix themselves. Read along as bones try to heal with the assistance of flames.Edit: I kinda dont like this anymore, so could you tell me if you'd like it rewritten?





	1. Chapter 1

Snowdin is a little quiet town just past the forest with the same name. This town is home to many monsters well suited for colder temperatures, and in recent years, became home to a few unusual monsters. A few slime monsters, three skeletons, and… a flame monster. Now, you might be wondering why a Hotland monster decided to move to Snowdin. Snow can melt back into water, and water is quite harmful for most Hotland monsters, so why would a flame monster move to Snowdin?

It may sound silly and cheesy, but the flame monster did it out of love. He met a skeleton monster up in the Capital one day, and fell for him in an instant. The skeleton made a few puns and saw that the flame found them entertaining, coming over to him to chat a little. They made it to a little bar and happily talked for a while, the skeleton making more puns to make the flame monster laugh.

"so… what brings you to the capital? you're a hotland monster, right?" The skeleton watched as the bartender handed him a drink. "ya don't see many people like yourself heading to other places, what with higher moisture levels and such."

"I was just heading out to get a few supplies for my family's restaurant since I am the only one of them that can handle other climates." The flame monster waited for his own drink as he listened to the skeleton. "And… I am looking for an area for sale so I can have my own little bar."

"you should go to snowdin. great people, nice scenery, and there's an empty building there that no one is using." The skeleton took a sip from his glass. "how do i know this? me and my family live there. i'm just up here because my father has business here."

The flame let off a low hum along with the crackle of his flames, thinking about what the skeleton said. Move to Snowdin? Could he do that? It would be a daily problem of worrying if he would fall into the snow and perish, but isn't the whole of life about taking risks and challenging tasks? It would be a new change of pace too. He'd experience all sorts of things that he never experienced when in Hotland. Maybe this would be nice. Maybe this is what he needed, just a little help to make a decision.

"Snowdin sounds lovely. I think I will move there." A thin line appeared on his face to signify his mouth, him having a little smile. "Say… what is your name?"

"i'm sans, sans the skeleton. what about you?" Sans looked up at the flame monster, his permasmile seeming a little genuine now.

"My name is Grillby. Nice to meet you Sans."

"grillby, huh? that's a pretty _HOT_ name." Sans covered his mouth to muffle his laughter, having seen Grillby's flames crackle more and the color darken to show embarrassment. This flame seems like a nice guy. It'll be nice to have him around.

-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•

It has been a year since Grillby's interaction with Sans. He misses talking to him a little and is quite happy for today. Today is the day he sees him again. Today is the day the fire monster moves to Snowdin. He had brought only a few things with him for this day, just a suitcase of things. He has no idea if he will actually like it in Snowdin, so he didn't bring much so he could leave easily if needing to.

He took the Riverperson to get to Snowdin, feeling calmer with the boat opposed to walking through Waterfall. Still, the fear of getting wet was still persistent. He did manage to make it to Snowdin safely, so he was very happy about that. The temperature change was apparent to him, but that didn't bother him too much due to him wearing thick clothing that kept his heat and didn’t chill. He had to wear special types of clothing since his flaming body could easily burn things that are not made specifically for Hotland residents.

He walked down the path and looked around, quite enjoying how different it was from his home. He saw the ice wolf throwing large ice blocks into the water, waiting for more to be created from the machine behind it, and repeating this process. He saw the slime monster children hop around and play their games. He loved how calm it was here. He loved how no one is rushing around because they’re busy. This town is so, dare he say, chill. Ah, Sans would have pun…

Would it be weird if he appeared at Sans’ house? Sans did give him the suggestion of moving to Snowdin, so visiting him to say thank you wouldn’t be weird… right? This is really testing the flame monster. He doesn’t want to seem strange to the skeleton. He doesn’t want to mess up his chances of future interactions with Sans by just appearing at his house after a whole year of not talking with him. The unease he was feeling was melting the snow around him, creating a puddle of water on the uncovered grass.  
  
“Are you okay? What seems to be the matter?” A figure asked as it approached Grillby, picking him up a little and putting him back onto unmelted snow. It seems to be concerned for him and wanted to make sure he was fine.

“I… I am okay now. Thank you.” Grillby dusted some snow off of him and held the handle of his briefcase tightly. “I am new here. Do you happen to know where a skeleton named Sans is? I would like to speak with him.”

“I do know where he is. He is my brother, after all." The figure, a skeleton upon Grillby giving him a second look, smiled and held out his hand. "My name is Papyrus. What's your name friend?"

"My name is Grillby." He shook Papyrus' gloved hand and looked around at the town after he did so, noticing the buildings in plain sight and the ones semi-hidden by trees. There was something along the lines of a log cabin that was most noticeable, and across from it, was a two story wooden building.

"What brings you to Snowdin, Grillby? Fire monsters normally stay in Hotland, right?" Papyrus started to walk off, motioning for Grillby to follow. And so, the flame monster did just that.

"About a year ago, I met your brother in the Capital and we went for a drink. He suggested I move here after I told him I wanted to open a bar." The fire monster smiled a little as he looked around at the town again. "This place seems so calm and charming. I wanted to thank your brother for helping me decide where to go."

Papyrus smiled as well and kept walking with him, quite happy at the fact that someone has a positive opinion of his brother. Most people don't like him because of how many puns he uses and because he is quite lazy. Papyrus might even go as far as suspecting Grillby had a crush on Sans, but wouldn't say it out loud. He wants to see how it plays out.

He stops in front of the mailboxes near the cabin and proceeded to take out a few envelopes before closing the nearly full mailbox, mumbling to himself about bills and such. He then pulled a key from his boot and went to unlock the door. When it opened and when Grillby stepped inside, he warmed up and stood still.

This was Sans' house. It feels so cozy and warm, and it makes him feel wonderful. He feels like he could be himself here, but that would come another time. It smelled like burnt pasta and old ketchup, something Grillby will grow to love. It had the sense of a loving family here, and it indeed have a loving family residing here.

"Please excuse the mess. My brother doesn't clean up a lot." Papyrus grimaced at the sight of Sans' sock still on the floor and sighed. "Feel free to make yourself comfortable while I go wake my brother up."

Grillby nodded and sat down on the couch while Papyrus went upstairs for a little while. The flame monster looked around the room as he waited for Papyrus to return with Sans. A bone poster, a poster of the famous robot Mettaton, a pet rock with sprinkles on it, the quantum physics book that had a series of joke books and quantum physics books inside it, the lines of sticky notes over Sans' sock…

"Sans, get up! You've been sleeping for so long now. It's lunchtime already!" Papyrus' yelling was quite loud.

"c'mon bro… i'm bone tired."

"You have time to nap and make puns but you don't have time to pay bills?! Get up already! You have a friend waiting for you downstairs."

Grillby flinched when he heard Papyrus say that and straightened his posture, sitting with his hands folded on his lap and him cooling his flames from a dark orange to a lighter color. This was it. This was the moment that will determine everything. This was the moment that will decide what happens from this moment forward. This is a nervous time for Grillby.

"hey, it's you. it's been so long dude. how ya doin' grillbz?" Sans walked down the stairs and sat down next to Grillby, Papyrus walking past them and into the kitchen to cook. 

"I am doing pretty well, thanks for asking. I'm… moving in next door soon, so you'll see me pretty often." His flames darkened a little. "Thank you for our, um… little chat a year ago. You helped me back then with choosing a place to move to. I was having a hard time deciding back then. Once I took a few steps in Snowdin, I knew this place would be wonderful."

"that's awful nice of you to say. ya just gotta go with your gut sometimes. sometimes you just gotta follow your instincts and your heart. nothing good comes out of ignoring your feelings." He relaxed more against the couch and put his hands in his jacket pockets, exhaling and closing his eyes. "when you're open for business, i'll stop by for a drink."

'Follow your heart, huh?' Grillby thought and put a hand over his chest, smiling a little more and becoming darker. He knew he would end up living here. Grillby knew he would end up loving this place. He knew he'd stay here. His heart lead him here. He's an adult, yes, but the flame monster can't help feeling like a giddy student. He hasn't felt a romantic attraction to anyone before, so all of these feelings are so new and foreign to him. It isn't bad though. He welcomes all of these feelings with open arms.

"hey… it must have been a challenge to get here, right? you must be a little tired from having to deal with the riverperson's boat. why don't you crash here for the night?" He opened an eye to look over at Grillby, the flames shifting around his glasses and growing even darker. "it'd also give us time to catch up. been a year since we last met."

This is happening. This is happening for real. It's not a dream. Oh my god. Grillby's head was filled with all sorts of thoughts and feelings about what Sans has offered. He offered to let the flame stay here for the night, even though they hardly know each other. This was a big deal for Grillby, him having an attraction towards the short skeleton. He had to stay calm. He had to keep his composure.

"That… That will be nice, thank you. It would be more of a hassle getting back to Hotland since I'm a little tired from trudging through snow." He tried his best to keep a convincing smile on his face and went to stand up. “I’ll come back in a bit. I need to take a stroll to become familiar with everyone and to better adjust to the temperature difference. And… to sort out my thoughts.”

“i’ll come with you. it’d be nice to have someone that’s familiar with the town to show you around, right? i’m on break right now anyways.” Sans shrugged and hopped up off the couch, receiving a sigh and disappointed look from Papyrus. The younger brother seemed to dislike his older brother talking about his “break” and made that point clear.

“You already don’t do your job as it is Sans. You shouldn’t be skipping work and taking so many breaks in the Capital. Though… I guess I can let this one day slide, since you are showing our new friend around. Just know you better work hard after you’re done I don’t need you to keep slacking off. It makes me look bad too, not just you.” The taller skeleton placed the envelopes by the pet rock and went back outside where he proceeded to walk towards Waterfall.  
  
Sans walked outside too and waved Grillby over. The two then started their walk towards Snowdin Forest, slowly taking in the surroundings and chatting a little. They talked about the inn and the innkeeper’s family, how all the little bunny monsters love to run around and play in the snow. They talked about the Snowdin Gyftmas and how everyone gathers for hot chocolate around the Gyftmas tree in the center of town. They shared many jokes and puns, trying to make each other laugh and snort. It was just… great, being able to talk for so long about anything they think of.

The snow was soft and sparkled under the Underground’s artificial lighting, and it crunched wonderfully with each footstep. It was such a pure white, constantly controlled by the magic of the Underground. All of the “weather cycles” were because of magic, since no sunlight reaches most of the Underground. The only two spots that receive sunlight are the Ruins (or so has been told) and near the Barrier, but that is an entirely different matter for a different time. Those are also the only places that receive Surface weather.

The trees were all coated in the magical snow, needles and snow falling off every now and then. Pine, spruce, cedar… so many species of conifers live in such harmony, further proof of the magic of this land. Many plants and other organism variants are exclusive to the Underground because of the abundance of magic. The Echo Flowers, the glowing blue flowers that repeat whatever they have heard last. The squeaky mushrooms all throughout Waterfall that could be toggled off with a simple tap. The heat-resistant shrubs and grasses in Hotland, plants that thrive on the heat of the nearby magma and the light there. The buttercups that grow in the Ruins and Asgore’s castle, variants of the ranunculus bulbosus flowers that have adapted to less sunlight and water from the Underground.

Grillby seemed to be happy thinking of these plants, talking about them quite a bit while Sans and him walked through the snowy forest. He’s always been quite proud of the knowledge he has obtained throughout the years, since most monsters do not attend schools because they do not want to travel to the Capital. The schools there are expensive too, so that is also a factor. Grillby’s family had enough money to put him through school when he was a child, and they hope he will go off one day and make a great life for himself. They were so happy to hear he wanted to try something new when he said he wanted to move to Snowdin. 

“you seem pretty happy here jus’ talking. it’s nice to hear someone so happy about what they’ve learned over the years.” Sans’ smile was less of a permanent state and was more true to how he felt. He was so calm about how he talked or doing anything in general, so the subtle change in his permasmile was a nice thing to see. “ya know, not a whole lotta monsters have gone to school. most are taught only what they need to survive in the world, and they don't desire to know more. i can tell from how you talk… you desire to know as much as you can, desire to know just about anything. when we get to the surface one day, we'll need to know more than we already do. we'll need your help grillbz."

Grillby smiled warmly and let the thin line for his mouth widen and become jagged at the corners, his flames crackling like a fireplace and letting off smoke. "It is… nice, having someone think so highly of me. I am not all that special. All I did was attend a school for a few years. Still, I appreciate you saying such kind words to a monster like I. It makes me feel as if I am important here, like I have a purpose of some kind. I do not ever think I will understand why you choose to be so nice to me, but it makes me feel a little better here. Makes my SOUL feel a little stronger."

Sans gave Grillby another smile before stopping in front of the bridge, the bridge that went over a gap in the ground. A bridge that lead towards the Ruins, to where humans would come from. He put a hand over his chest and held it there over his ever present SOUL. Grillby having mentioned his SOUL reminded Sans of how fragile he was, how it was a miracle he was alive after what happened that day…

"i… should head to my post. i don't like worrying my brother all that much." He put his hands in his pockets and swayed a little, SOUL flickering in and out of view for a moment. "i can't worry him. he has so much to do…"

"Sans?! Sans, are you okay?!" Grillby grew worried for the state of the small skeleton.

Then, with a soft thud, Sand collapsed into the snow, Grillby soon going after him.

_ "SANS!" _


	2. Chapter 2

"Is he okay now Papyrus? I'm worried for him…"

"He… He will be fine. I'm sure of it. This wasn't the first time he did this…"

"It… It wasn't? What do you mean by that? Has… Has this happened before? Has he… Fallen?"

"Not this time, no. Though, in the past, he did Fall Down…"

Sans was taken immediately to Hotland after that by Grillby, the flame monster's concern overriding his fear of the water. He suffered a few minor injuries, but he didn't care all that much. Sans' well being was much more important as of that moment. He brought the skeleton to the LAB in Hotland, where Gaster and Alphys brought Sans to a bed and hooked up a few machines to his SOUL. When Grillby saw Sans' low ATK and HP of one, he could tell something was wrong. Now, the fire monster sits by his side, talking to Papyrus and the others.

"I… suppose I can tell you what happened to my son. Papyrus told me he could tell Sans trusts you." Gaster stared at Sans for a moment before looking at Grillby, sighing and holding one of Sans' hands. Gaster was the most worried out of anyone right now. "Papyrus told me he could tell that you were educated. Are you familiar with the phenomenon of Falling Down?"

"When a monster loses all will for life or when hurt badly to near dusting, or due to a lack of magic production, their SOUL despairs. The monster enters a coma-like state with their SOUL gradually getting worse until an eventual death with the SOUL shattering. This is the process of Falling Down, a monster never being able to get back Up from the despair. No one has survived falling down…" Grillby looked at Sans again and let his flames flicker freely. "Why do you ask if I know?"

"Sans' health problems are related to his instance of Falling Down. The only reason he survived was because of his determination and his boss monster SOUL." Gaster left the bedside to look at papers on a nearby desk, Alphys making sure Sans was receiving a steady supply of cyan magic among other things he needed. "About… twenty years ago, Sans got into a fight protecting Papyrus. His attacker caught him off guard and then Sans got hurt. He was… upset that he couldn't protect his little brother, and his SOUL despaired. In the middle of a street in Capital, he despaired… and he Fell Down. He told us he clung to his will to live and see us again. He said because of his determination and us trying to help, he got back Up. His magic became unstable after that, only being able to summon magic attacks from his right side and the frequent instances of him collapsing. If no one would have helped him get some help today, he could have Fallen Down and never got Up again. Thank you Grillby."

Grillby nodded and stayed silent, watching Sans' chest rise and fall under the blanket in his sleep. A monster that has gotten Up from Falling Down… That hasn't happened before. Sans was the first to get up. Only he can say what happens during an instance of Falling Down. Only he knows the pain of a SOUL in despair, the pain of a SOUL almost shattering, the pain of bleeding DETERMINATION… Only Sans knows all this, and Grillby knows it takes a toll on the monster's mind.

Grillby took one of Sans' hands and put his own around it, closing his eyes and keeping his breathing calm. His SOUL appeared, and so did his amount of HP, an amount near a boss monster's. Sans' SOUL flickered back to its original light blue hue while Grillby's flames lightened to pale yellow. He seemed to passively transfer energy from himself to Sans, unknowing of what he was doing. So, it was a surprise to see Sans wake up a few moments after.

"hm…? i'm in the lab now?" He yawned and rubbed at his eyes and chin, his… his mouth moving with him as he spoke as well as a tongue of cyan blue. His teeth were not fused together now. His mouth wasn't stuck in a smile anymore. He could open and close his mouth freely now. "i thought i was sleeping in the snow…"

"You collapsed i-in the snow after a spike in your magic, from what the tests have shown." Alphys spoke up in her clearest voice, trying not to show her stutter as much. She helped Sans steady his posture before releasing his SOUL from the IV drip so it could return to slumbering in his ribcage. "Y-Your fiery friend carried you here through Waterfall because he was worried you Fell Down again, and he knew we could help with a-a situation like this. You could have seriously been hurt if h-he did not act right then and there."

"grillbz walked all the way through Waterfall, the place where a misstep could kill him, just to get me to a doctor? that was awful nice of you dude." Sans gave Grillby a smile, his first true smile, his first "smile" smile. "if it wasn't for you, my father would be 'sans' a son."

Papyrus groaned from the other side of the room when Sans made that comment and put his gloved hand to his forehead to rub it in disappointment. He is happy that his brother is alright, yes, but this surely didn't warrant the shorter skeleton to start up with his stupid puns aagain. Seriously, they aren't even that funny or clever. They're dumb, and they're repetitive.

Grillby had to contain his flames to make sure they did not show his true feelings of this moment. He instead stayed calm and chuckled at Sans' pun, letting his flames crackle and warm to his normal orange. He put a hand to his mouth to muffle his laughs, bandaging around them most likely from being in Waterfall. "I'm glad you are feeling well Sans. You had all of us worried about you."

"Y-You should go rest at home Sans. It is very important you rest and regain your magic reserves. This health scare today was too close of a call." Alphys piped up and handed Sans his jacket. "Y-Your magic feels drained I imagine, and a little rest after this will do you good." 

"i don't want paps to worry about me any more than he does already." Sans yawned and further bared his unfused teeth, stretching a little before slipping his jacket on. "don't wanna worry my dad too. don't need to worry you either alphys."

Sans took a few steps away from the bed and turned to everyone, activating the magic in his left eye and snapping his fingers, disappearing upon the initial snap. Grillby stared for a few moments before turning back to everyone else, them staring back at Grillby. They look like they have something to say, something important, something about Sans, something he should know about Sans. What do they want to say?

Is it regarding Sans' magic? Is it regarding his status of having gotten Up? Is something wrong with him? Did Grillby mess something up by sending magic to him? What could they possibly need to tell him? He's basically a stranger to them! He shouldn't be here acting like he's been here for so long! Why do they trust him with such things? Is it because of Sans? Does Sans trust very few people, and how he trusts Grillby is proof that the others can trust the flame monster with such sensitive information? So many thoughts raced through Grillby's head.

"You must be confused by all of this. We were all under the impression that Sans collapsed because of him Falling Down, but during the tests and scans we did on his body and SOUL, that proved not to be the case. Something more important happened, but, unlike what you must think, a good thing has happened and not a bad one. Come. We will all need to sit down and have a chat." Gaster picked up a few files and other stapled papers before walking off towards his section of the lab. "Everyone needs to be present, so you three hurry up and follow me."

Papyrus nods and follows after Gaster first, most likely to talk about something between just them. This whole matter related to their family, after all. Alphys was the next to follow, tail dragging on the floor as she brought along more papers for Gaster as well as a cup of purple-tinted coffee. This left Grillby as the last one to join them in Gaster's lab, him being a little unsure if he really should follow them. But, follow them he shall. This is clearly important and they obviously want Grillby to be there for it.

There were a few chairs in a semicircle with one having a table next to it, that being Gaster's seat since he has so many papers to look through. Surely enough, Gaster sat down in said seat and set his files down to take a sip of his oddly-colored coffee. Alphys took up the next two seats, her sitting in one and reading through the file she was holding and the other for her tail. Papyrus was seated in the next seat and was rather calm. They three knew what had happened to Sans. They know why his teeth unfused, why his jaw bone is more visible and why his magic was reacting oddly earlier. Grillby took a seat next to Papyrus and exhaled a breath in the form of smoke. He was… a little tired from dealing with today, and from the energy that he didn't regain after he helped Sans.

"Papyrus, I think you can start this conversation since this happened to you not too long ago. I will pick up after you, and then Alphys after I." Gaster took a sip from his cup and flipped through one of the files, Alphys flipping through her's as well. 

"Okay… I think I can do this. I'll try." He stands up and calms himself with a few deep breaths. His right eye lit up orange, as well as his hand and SOUL. "When a skeleton monster starts reaching full, um, maturity and… reproductive maturity, they gain certain… attributes. The length of time to reach this maturity varies from skeleton monster to skeleton monster. They gain certain types of magic, their features change, they can make a, um… pseudo organ-like mass of magic… things like that. For instance, I gained the ability to use orange magic in my right side and my teeth unfused. Sans collapsed earlier because he reached his maturity rather abruptly and his SOUL panicked, despairing and entering a tame version of Falling Down."

Gaster nodded to Papyrus and the tall skeleton sat back down, calming his magic and returning to his normal state. Gaster then took a step forward when he rose from his seat and let his eyelights glow purple, multiple sets of his hands appearing around him and floating in the air. "Sans' time of maturity was delayed for so long because of the poor state of his SOUL after Falling Down. He was never able to get his body to gather enough magic to start the maturing process, so it was halted. Him collapsing earlier was due to it being dormant for so long. It was completed all at once because he received magic from you."

"W-We need you to keep an eye on Sans when we can't. We need to make sure nothing bad happens to him while his magic is more unstable than usual. Could y-you do this for us Grillby? We suspect since you're going t-to be opening a bar, Sans will start to hang around with you more." Alphys handed her file to one set of Gaster's summoned hands and highlighted a few things before she sat back down and looked through another file. "Papyrus and Gaster a-always worry about Sans, and they want to know he'll be alright."

This is… This is quite a strange feeling for Grillby. Partly because of his attraction to the short skeleton, but also because he is a stranger. He is a stranger to everyone here. He has not interacted with anyone that is present prior to today's events. He does not know them well. They do not know Grillby well. Yet, they trust him with something of great importance. They trust him with such an important task. Grillby doesn't feel like he should be trusted with something with this level of importance. He doesn't trust himself to not mess anything up. He… wants to accept this job. He wants to protect Sans so that he could ask him out one day.

With a determined look and with brightly burning flames, Grillby nods and stands up to dust himself off. He straightened his glasses and looked over at Gaster. "I will do this for you three. You all have been worrying about Sans for so long without end, having no one else to trust with this sensitive information. You all have such busy lives. You do not need your worry for Sans to interfere with your jobs. I… I will watch him for you. I will watch over him and protect him in every way I can."

Everyone gives him a small smile and leave the room, Papyrus staying behind for a moment to speak with Grillby alone. He puts a hand on Grillby's shoulder and looks away, letting out a quiet sigh of worry. He has always worn his heart on his sleeve, making all of the emotions that plagued him known. He worries for Sans, worries to the point where it hurts. "Grillby… please keep my older brother safe. I can't keep being near him to make sure he's okay. I've kept worrying about him since the day he Fell Down, and it would help me feel better about leaving if you could promise me you'll keep him safe…"

Grillby let his smile widen a little and gave Papyrus a hug, and judging from how the tall skeleton hugged back, he really needed this comforting touch. He let his flames grow to a comforting warmth and expelled smoke. "I promise I'll keep Sans safe for you Papyrus. I wouldn't dare let anyone hurt him. I'll do whatever I am capable of to keep him from harm."

Papyrus let go and smiled before starting to walk away. He looked a little relieved knowing his brother was in good hands. It's exhausting having most thoughts directed towards Sans' health, so knowing he is going to be fine with someone watching over him is a great relief. Papyrus can focus a little more on his patrols and his training with Undyne. 

Grillby left the lab after Papyrus did and headed towards the Capital with his suitcase. He has to let his family know that he is moving to Snowdin, and he has to have his things along with some inventory moved to the building. He wonders what they will say when they meet up. Will they comment on his cheerier attitude? Will they comment on how his flames are burning brightly? Will they catch onto his feelings for Sans…? He doesn't know what they're gonna think or say, and what they could say worries him. His family often pokes fun at him for certain things. Not messing with him to be mean. The kinds of teasing that goes on in a typical family.

Oh, how they would tease him if they knew he was interested in the royal scientist's son. That truly is a fate worse than having his SOUL shattered. First, his parents would repeatedly ask him questions about it and pester him relentlessly. His brother would pick up from there and constantly make inappropriate remarks. Then Fuku would just keep giggling to herself the whole time…

He made it to Capital after a little while of walking, stopping occasionally to talk to Hotland residents on his way there. Grillby walked onto the paved street and looked around for a moment before continuing to walk. He won't be up here a whole lot since he'd be moving to Snowdin, so he wants a good look of everything so he can remember it. He wants to never forget the place he grew up, the place he spent his life in. He loves this place. It's special to him. But, he must leave. He must leave and make a life for himself.

He passed by Muffet's bakery and stopped outside to talk with her for a minute, telling her that he is moving to Snowdin and might not see her much after that. She just hugs him and tells him she will visit him every now and then, and they could even team up and he could sell some of her sweets there in exchange for liquor to bake with to make cakes specially ordered by adult monsters. She's his closest friend, so leaving her behind hurts him a little. She sends him on his way with a bag of little smoked wooden logs, one of the very few treats she makes without the aid of much sweetening or things to bake with. She raises certain wooded plants and smokes them with certain sauces or a little brown sugar. These are Grillby's favorite thing to eat, so Muffet giving the fire monster some pleased him greatly.

As he approached his family's restaurant, a green fire monster came running out the doors and straight into Grillby. She gave him a big hug and nuzzled his chest before backing away to do a little twirl, her wearing Grillby's old uniform. "So, what do ya think Uncle Grillby? Do I look good like this?"

"You look wonderful Fuku. Say, um, how did you get my old clothes… and why are you wearing them?" Grillby smiled a little at Fuku and walked past her to the door to step inside, the comforting warmth making Grillby feel a bit more relaxed. 

"Grammy gave it to me. She said you didn't fit it anymore and said I could have it since you didn't want it. As for why I have it…" Fuku happily pulled her ID Card from her pocket and showed Grillby it, the information having changed from the previous year. "I turned sixteen not too long ago and Grammy told me I was old enough to work at the restaurant now. Ain't that great? I can work with my dad now!"

"Speaking of dads… do you know where my father is? I need to talk with him and my mother about something." He turned back to Fuku and pulled a small log from the bag. "Also, I brought snacks from Muffet for everyone. You want one?"

Fuku nodded and happily ate the log Grillby gave her, it burning up slowly with each chew before she swallowed it and burped a dark cloud of smoke. She walked inside past Grillby and brought him to the back room where a crimson-red fire monster and an azure fire monster were sitting by a desk. The crimson one was a bit taller than Grillby and had attire that matched a cook. The azure one was a little shorter than Grillby and her attire was that of a bartender.

The azure fire monster got up from her seat and hugged Grillby a little before she returned to her seat. She began moving her hands a little in the form of sign language, her being mute and this way being easier than writing her words on paper. She appeared to be saying something about her being happy that Grillby wants to be independent and happy that Grillby wants to have his own little business.

"It's great to hear that you've decided on what to do Grillby. I always knew you loved it here, but our business wasn't your favorite thing. That is what you're here about, right…?" The crimson fire monster spoke, his voice deep but kind.

"A-Ah, yes father. I came here to ask if me moving to Snowdin was alright with you and mother." He looked a little nervous again and held tightly onto the bag of snacks Muffet gave him. His flames crackled loudly showing how nervous he really was. "I found a wonderful place in Snowdin to live in and set up a bar. I… wanted to know if I could move there if I wasn't urgently needed here…"

"Why do you look so nervous Grillbert? Did you think we'd be mad if you asked?" Grillby's father smiled at him and looked over at Grillby. "It's fine by us, son. Your mother and I do not mind at all if you want to leave. You're an adult. You're not obligated to be here. You can make your own choices, and we'd support you the whole way."

"I, uh… prefer to be called Grillby, father…" Grillby rubbed his neck and looked away, seeming embarrassed by his actual name being said.

"Go rest for today, son. You must be tired after what all you went through today." Grillby's father motioned towards his son's hands. "You got hurt earlier from what I assume, so I imagine you're a little weakened right now."

"Unfortunately, I cannot stay here tonight. I made plans with someone in Snowdin and I would hate to go back on a promise." He grabbed his suitcase and went to leave the room, his father and mother smiling at him while his father giggled a little. They probably suspected that he liked someone, and think he has a date tonight. This was obvious to Grillby, but he'd rather leave than deal with his embarrassment.

  
  



	3. Chapter 3

It was around nine o'clock at night when Grillby returned to Snowdin with his suitcase and his snacks. He knocked on the door of Sans' house and politely waited for it to be opened. Fortunately, he did not have to wait long. Sans had opened the door to let Grillby inside. The short skeleton looked a little tired, but seemed pretty awake overall.

Sans looked at the bag of snacks curiously before heading to the kitchen. It's a little weird to him to see Grillby carrying around a bag of wood, but then again, it makes sense. Grillby is a fire monster, and fire requires fuel to burn. He learns something new every day, ey?

"my brother is gonna cook dinner soon." Sans said as he came back with a glass of water and sat down on the couch. Grillby sat with him. "could you eat a little of his spaghetti and tell him it's great? he isn't exactly the… best of cooks, and what he's been making has made me sick to my stomach…"

"Why do you not tell him about how it is affecting you negatively?" Upon Grillby having mentioned that, Sans sighed and frowned a little.

"i… don't want to hurt his feelings. undyne won't let him into the royal guard. papyrus knows this is why she's giving him cooking lessons instead. he hopes that if he masters his lessons, he'll get actual combat training from her and get the truth." Sans stares down at his glass of water. "my brother is the nicest guy in the world. i hate it when he gets upset, so i bear the pain of eating his cooking. it makes him feel nice when i say it's great."

"You shouldn't lie to your brother for this long. You know that Sans. You know you can't keep hiding the truth, for he will figure it out." Grillby pulled one long from the bag and took a bite. His flames let off a thin smoke with a scent that was similar to caramel. "It isn't nice of you to not tell him. Papyrus really cares about you, and if he knew you were lying to him about how his food has been affecting you he would be hurt."

Only met the guy once prior to this, and now Sans is getting lectured. Strange, huh. He knew Grillby meant well. He knew Grillby was right, too. He knew he couldn't hide this matter for much longer, and Papyrus would be so disappointed if Sans didn't confess before he found out. Sans's SOUL flickered into view for a moment, flashing cyan before fading away. His SOUL seems to become visibly known in times of strong emotion or if a situation proves dangerous.

He looked up when he saw Papyrus walk in the front door and close it behind him, his arms full with what looked like groceries. There were many different and odd things, mostly his weird pasta ingredients, but what stuck out the most was a bag filled with various wood pieces and a plastic container of mystery spaghetti. Why did he buy so many things? Why did he have a bag of wood? What, dare Sans asks, was in the mystery spaghetti?

Papyrus walked right past them and went into the kitchen to begin preparing dinner. He put all the bags on one clear part of the counter and cleared the other portion for him to start dinner. He filled a pot with water and put it on the stove to boil while he prepared other things. He chopped up fresh ingredients and put them in little bowls for later. He was just so active in the kitchen, more active than usual. What could be causing his increased level of activity? Could Papyrus be trying to impress Grillby? Could he be trying to impress Sans with a new dish or new skill? Maybe this was a healthier option and he wanted someone to try it. The reasoning is unknown for the moment. He had different pots on different burners, each with something that didn’t smell horribly of smoke. There was a pot for what looked like fresh spaghetti, a pot for freshly made pasta sauce, a pot full of that dark mystery spaghetti, and a pot of a strange clear sauce. His eyes showed a burning blaze, the determination that he had for making this batch of food.

“this… this actually doesn’t smell horrible. paps normally fills the place with smoke when he cooks.” Sans’ tone was a bit hushed so Papyrus couldn’t hear him. “maybe he’s actually starting to pick up on undyne’s lessons? huh.”

“It is… a rather odd smell to come out of a kitchen in such a cold part of the Underground. I can smell the better pasta, yes, but I also smell Hotland cuisine. The largest pot has tree sap based pasta boiling in water with wood chips in it, and the smallest pot has sauce made from various different coniferous leaves. Hotland monsters, more often than not, are literally fire. Wood is highly nutritious for most Hotland creatures and it is quite easy to burn, so plenty of our foods are derived from trees.” Grillby’s flames crackled and spit pale yellow embers as he sniffed around at the air a bit. From how his flames are behaving, it is quite obvious that he finds the smell of the food to be irresistible. The volume of the combined crackles and pops was now of a fireplace. His heat comfortably matched a fireplace too, and the sweet smell of the snacks that he ate that he got from Muffet added a pleasant aroma to the room.

After several more minutes of Papyrus stirring each pot carefully, he turned each stove eye off before opening a cabinet to get out a few plates. He put the normal spaghetti and sauce on two of the three plates before he put the strange spaghetti and sauce on the final plate. He stared at the plates with pride and smiled triumphantly. He looks so much more proud of this effort, like he is fairly certain Sans and Grillby will love this meal. He had a feeling that Sans didn’t really like his cooking and said he loved it to make Papyrus happy. The food tended to be a little too watery or dry, or burnt and over seasoned. He was trying so many new things all at once, and he guesses it overwhelmed anything good about the dishes. Papyrus does appreciate Sans always telling him that his food is amazing though, even if it hurts his feelings to know Sans was lying to him for so long. The confidence Sans gave Papyrus made him want to keep practicing to continuously get better.

He could easily see that Grillby was pleased with the scent of the not-so-normal spaghetti. The fire monster’s flames kept letting off little sparks and embers, and even kept leaning towards the direction of the kitchen. There was also a light smoke coming from the tips of the flames on his head. Papyrus was happy that Grillby was getting so excited for the food. While he was out shopping for groceries and other things needed for the house, he remembered that Grillby would be staying for dinner. He knew that Hotland monsters ate things that were different from the normal foods that others eat, but he didn’t really know what Hotland monsters ate. He didn’t want to prepare something that Grillby couldn’t really have. He knew his father may know what would be best to prepare, so he headed to Hotland and to the Lab to ask. Alphys and Gaster recommended a few things that he could use and told him where to get everything: Capital. Papyrus then went to gather up dinner ingredients, and headed home once he was finished.

“I hope you both enjoy tonight’s dinner.” Papyrus brought their plates to his brother and Grillby before striking his signature pose. “It is the best meal prepared by The Great Papyrus! Nyeh heh heh!”

Sans chuckled softly at Papyrus’ enthusiasm and opened his mouth to eat. It was still so odd to see his mouth move after so many years of his teeth being fused together. All his teeth were separated now, and his magic even willed together to form a tongue. As soon as he took a bite of the spaghetti, his eyes widened and he went still. He smiled a bit before he started to quickly wolf down more of it. Papyrus has never seen his older brother be so eager to finish all of his plate. He knew his brother genuinely thought it was amazing from how he smiled as he ate and how he wiped the excess sauce from his mouth with his sleeve. Sans also never really had that large of an appetite, so it also surprised Papyrus to see Sans eat with such vigor.

Grillby thought this display was amusing and a little cute, but kept his focus on his own plate. He could tell the ingredients for the Hotlandish Spaghetti were not easy to come by and were quite expensive. It is hard to make pasta for fire monsters and takes a substantial amount of effort, so finding a packaged container of it must have taken hours. The sauce isn’t too hard to make, but doesn’t taste well if not done correctly. Grillby took a bite of his food and his flames let out a puff of smoke almost instantly. He closed his eyes and let out a little smoke from his mouth, smiling widely as he continued to eat.

“So… how was it?” Papyrus looked down at Sans’ empty plate ang Grillby’s almost-empty plate. “Was it good?”

“bro, this was the best spaghetti you’ve ever made.’” Sans smiled again and wiped his mouth a final time.

“Papyrus, this pasta…” Grillby’s flames crackled with an increased volume as he ate. “There was so much love and effort put into preparing it. You were thoughtful enough to consider that I can’t really eat normal food and sought out something that I could. You spent a lot of time and money finding the right ingredients, and you prepared them so well. This quality far surpasses what I could do, and it might even challenge my parents’ skills. I loved it, Papyrus. This was amazing.”

Papyrus didn’t really expect such a positive response from them. Sure, he kind of expected them both to say that they thought is was great, but not to Grillby’s magnitude. An educated chef told Papyrus that his spaghetti was the best he has ever had. He was told this by someone with so much more experience in a kitchen than he has. Papyrus felt his cheeks warm a little and show an orange hue. He was blushing, quite flattered by what his brother and Grillby has said. He would have never thought of himself as too amazing, and what they told him feel much better about his skills in the kitchen.

“That’s so nice of you both to say. I’m nothing too special.” The taller skeleton smiled warmly at Sans and Grillby. He’s embarrassed about how much positive feedback he received so quickly and to Grillby’s extent. He’s also very obviously happy that this meal wasn’t a total flop. “I know my cooking wasn’t always so… pleasant, to say the least. I could tell. My brother made it obvious by how he carefully ate and how slow he was going. I… I’m sorry for all of these years of having you try each and every new dish that I made, Sans.”

“no… i should be the one that’s sorry. i lied to you for so wrong and never found the time to tell you the truth. i’m sorry bro…” Sans’ SOUL flickered into view as he looked away to hide his gaze. He felt ashamed for keeping such a secret for all this time. He was scared to hurt his brother’s feelings, so he never said anything. He just said it was good every time so Papyrus wouldn’t give up and so he could continue to improve. “i shouldn’t lie to you like that… it isn’t what an older brother should do. makes me feel bad that i hid it from you for so long…”

Grillby just smiled a little at the display of brotherly love and gathered up the dirty dishes to bring them to the sink in the kitchen. He thought the scene was rather adorable and became distracted staring at Sans, watching his SOUL glow ever so slightly and beat like a normal heart. The damaged magical organ just seemed to persist when Sans felt such strong emotions. Grillby wasn't watching what he was doing, and when he put the dishes in the sink and got a bit of water splashed onto himself. He hissed loudly in pain and backed away abruptly, bumping into the counter and further harming himself. These sounds, along with the harsh sizzling going on with his flames, alerted Papyrus and Sans. 

Grillby went to turn around to face the two and slipped in the water on the floor. Sans' sockets went black and his left eyesight began to glow bright blue as he reached out in a panic, only to see that he had caught Grillby with Blue magic. Sans has never used Blue magic before. This and the fact he managed to save Grillby surprised him quite a bit. He moved his hand around carefully to bring the Hotland monster to the couch. Once he had Grillby lying on the couch, Sans dropped his arm to his side and watched his SOUL fade away like normal.

"ah, what do we do? he's made of fire. what kind of wound does he have when he touches water? how do we medically treat a fire monster?" Sans looked pretty worried about his brightly burning friend. He had his hands on the sides of his head, he was pacing back and forth in front of the couch, his eyelights were smaller… 

"Brother, please calm down… Excess worry will not help right now. I am worried about Grillby too." Papyrus put a hand on Sans' shoulder and looked at Grillby seemingly lifeless body. He passed out due to the pain proving him a challenge to stay conscious. "If we think about it like a burn on a fleshy monster, we need to check the wounded area and air it out. He will need something to regain his strength, so while I am out getting him something, I will leave you to look after him. Could you do that for me Sans?"

"sure thing bro." Sans took a few breaths to calm himself down before walking closer to Grillby. 

When Papyrus did leave the house, Sans put a hand to Grillby's chest to force his SOUL out so it could be checked. The pseudo heart-like organ of magic seemed to be perfectly fine and Grillby seemed to have full HP. His DEF was reduced greatly though. This means the injury isn't too terrible, but still serious since Grillby fainted. It was most likely a dermal injury, and from how the harmed area sizzled, it seemed like the water caused a burn-like injury. He wouldn't know unless he removed Grillby's shirt and vest.

Now, why did that thought make his cheekbones burn a faint blue?

Sans has to dismiss all thoughts that are not appropriate for the situation and focus on getting Grillby some medical attention. He put a hand to the middle of the vest and held it there for a moment, feeling the fire monster's heartbeat and sizzling breaths, feeling the warmth of his body permeate through the fabric and into his marrow. That was a nice, calming feeling for the short skeleton. He moved his other hand up to unbutton it and remove it slowly, as not to disturb Grillby.

Why did he want that warmth circulating through all of his bones?

Then came the long-sleeve button-up shirt. It was thinner than the vest he had on over it and better warmed Sans' hand when he had the appendage pressed against Grillby's chest. There was tone to the flames. It gave the appearance of developed "muscle". Grillby was always a busybody, Sans assumed from how he spoke. Always having to spend ages washing dishes and carrying orders and bussing tables…

After Sans removed the shirt, his eyes went directly went to the darkened area on Grillby's lower torso. He would have time to admire his body later. He needs to focus on the injury for the time being. The affected area was dark and crackling like if you put a few water drops in a burning hot skillet. The thinnest layer of Grillby's flames, his "skin" if you will, had a hardened substance covering the harmed area like a scab on a fleshy monster.

"how do i even treat a fire monster scab?" Sans put his hand gently on the scab and sighed. "should i call dad? ah, but he'll get suspicious and then bother me for hours… maybe alphys? yeah, she'd be willing to help me and she wouldn't go telling dad about this."

Sans went to the home phone and filed the number for Alphys' cell phone, tapping the table with his phalanges as he waited for her to pick up. He turned to Grillby when he thought he heard him stir, but in reality, Grillby only shifted to expel some smoke. He hopes Alphys picks up soon. He doesn't want his wait to cause Grillby more pain…

"H-Hello there. Alphys speaking." Her usual stutter was ever so present in how she talked.

"yeah, um, hey there alphys. i have a medical question for you." Sans walked back to Grillby with the phone since it was close to the couch.

"U-Um… what is i-it that you need to ask m-me?"

"so… how do you treat fire monster injuries?" He put a hand to the dry, hard scab. "grillbz spilled some water on himself and fainted, and now he's on my couch with a black scab over his lower torso."

"O-Oh my god! I-Is he okay?!" She covered her mouth it seemed like before she spoke quieter. "N-Nevermind that right now. Did you check h-his stats already?"

"yes. his def is down, but that is to be expected. his hp hasn't decreased."

"Wh-What you need to do is carefully pry the scab off and then g-get a flammable liquid o-or piece of wood, then apply it to th-the pale flames in that general area."

"thanks alph. i owe you one. i got a bit worried i couldn't help grillbz."

"N-No problem Sans. I'm always h-happy to help however I c-can." She hung up soon after that sentence, most likely so Gaster couldn't question her of what she was doing.

Now Sans is alone with the flame monster again. Alone with him… and the heat that crept into his bones.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey. this note was added at a much later date. im wondering if you guys want this to continue or if you want me to rewrite it. comment pls.


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